Feb 22, 2018, Discussion Topics - 7th year H-1B extension - H-1B approval without I-94
I am currently on STEM Extension and my visa expires in July 2023. I also have a masters degree here in the states. I wanted to know what my options are..
If the suggestion is Day-1 CPT, I wanted to know how safe/legit it is! I have heard that going on Day-1 CPT can cause some issues when your H1 gets picked and may lead to RFE?
It is legal and so far it has been safe. You know that the rule for Day 1 CPT requires that when you join, you are associating with a graduate program otherwise you cannot get a Day 1 CPT. The Curricular Practical Training is an integral part of your degree. You cannot finish the degree without the practical training. The other thing is the employer signs the cooperative agreement with the university. The only additional suggestion I have is if you are going to do Curricular Practical Training make it as an adjunct to your profession.
For more information please check my blog.
https://immigration.com/blogs/curricular-practical-training-cpt
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My spouse is a dentist from India and converted to F-1 from H-4 on Sep 29, 2022. She pursued a few courses for MBA (non-stem) between March 2022 and Jun 2022. Now she is completing the remaining courses of her MBA on F-1 for the next 12 months.
My queries are-
1. Does she need to be on F-1 status for a min 365 days to be eligible for OPT?
2. If we ever need to change to H-4 status again (stamped till Aug 2024), can she travel to India and come back without F-1 stamping? or a COS application from F-1 to H-4 ( that may take 6 months) could be a better option for EAD application.
1. The 365 days requirement is not required. What you need is one academic year or two if there is a need to change to H-4.
2. If she has an H-4 stamping already there is no need to go to India. All she has to do is drive to Canada or Mexico and return showing her H-4 visa stamping.
Note: To be eligible to apply for OPT, you must:
